You may write to Fr Vincenzo at the following address. But please, NEVER send money or cheques to him directly as it will be stolen.
Vincenzo Ianniello
Franciscan Centre of Christian Oriental Studies
Shareh el-Bendaqah,
12 (Sh. Port Said - Bein es-Surein)
Atabah - POB 381
11511 Musky - Cairo - EGYPT
Fr. Vincenzo reads english but I doubt he'll reply in english.
Monday, December 17, 2007
Fr. Vincenzo (english version)
(Words in brackets are my additions for the sake of explanation).
Dear Lionel
Please thank the people who have given the amount that you will send me for the poor.
15 years ago I began (in Cairo) a programme of adoption from overseas. A lady had asked me if she could adopt a child (She gives money to support the child who remains in Cairo with his/her family). I found a little girl of 5 yrs; now she’s married. With time, the number of children rose to 220.
I then left for Jerusalem (transfer) and handed everything to another friar; but he decided for various reasons that I will not discuss here, to stop the programme.
I closed the doors. But now you came knocking at my window with an offer to help the poor. I cannot say “no”. I have seen the difficulties of the Holyland – but the reality of Cairo is very much worse. It is difficult to say “no” when you find children dressed in rags; who at Christmas, do not expect toys but only the possibility to eat a piece of meat and chocolate. A lady who works as a cleaner in a school collects leftover bread, cuts away the dirty parts and gives to these poor children who have nothing to eat.
I not only need the help of your benefactors, but also their prayers that I may find the time and courage to restart this programme that requires alot of hardwork and patience. A girl during catechism class said that if God really exists, then He would remember the poor and not leave them with a future of certain poverty. I tried to tell her, among other things, that even Our Lord experienced poverty. He meets the poor, but He wants to be helped; and the help that each one of us gives to Him with love, we do it so that others may have the bare necessities in order to live; not luxuries. If I do not work hard, then in a certain sense my words to this girl would be false.
I know that Our Lord as a child needed a mother who helped him; and as an adult needed a mother to console him with her presence at the foot of the Cross. It seems that now the Father needs us to realize His plans.
I remember with affection your benefactors even if I do not know them. I know that my affections count for nothing. What is important is that Our Lord, born in Bethlehem, remembers them all. What we leave in His hands is a sure treasure that will not rot.
I apologise for not writing you a poetic, moving or theological letter. I am not a poet, and after much dreaming, I am left with looking at realities; leaving poetry for another occasion.
To your benefactors I simply say “Thank you” and best wishes for a Christmas that brings them and their families above all peace, serenity and the hope of Christ.
Merry Christmas to you too.
Vincenzo
Dear Lionel
Please thank the people who have given the amount that you will send me for the poor.
15 years ago I began (in Cairo) a programme of adoption from overseas. A lady had asked me if she could adopt a child (She gives money to support the child who remains in Cairo with his/her family). I found a little girl of 5 yrs; now she’s married. With time, the number of children rose to 220.
I then left for Jerusalem (transfer) and handed everything to another friar; but he decided for various reasons that I will not discuss here, to stop the programme.
I closed the doors. But now you came knocking at my window with an offer to help the poor. I cannot say “no”. I have seen the difficulties of the Holyland – but the reality of Cairo is very much worse. It is difficult to say “no” when you find children dressed in rags; who at Christmas, do not expect toys but only the possibility to eat a piece of meat and chocolate. A lady who works as a cleaner in a school collects leftover bread, cuts away the dirty parts and gives to these poor children who have nothing to eat.
I not only need the help of your benefactors, but also their prayers that I may find the time and courage to restart this programme that requires alot of hardwork and patience. A girl during catechism class said that if God really exists, then He would remember the poor and not leave them with a future of certain poverty. I tried to tell her, among other things, that even Our Lord experienced poverty. He meets the poor, but He wants to be helped; and the help that each one of us gives to Him with love, we do it so that others may have the bare necessities in order to live; not luxuries. If I do not work hard, then in a certain sense my words to this girl would be false.
I know that Our Lord as a child needed a mother who helped him; and as an adult needed a mother to console him with her presence at the foot of the Cross. It seems that now the Father needs us to realize His plans.
I remember with affection your benefactors even if I do not know them. I know that my affections count for nothing. What is important is that Our Lord, born in Bethlehem, remembers them all. What we leave in His hands is a sure treasure that will not rot.
I apologise for not writing you a poetic, moving or theological letter. I am not a poet, and after much dreaming, I am left with looking at realities; leaving poetry for another occasion.
To your benefactors I simply say “Thank you” and best wishes for a Christmas that brings them and their families above all peace, serenity and the hope of Christ.
Merry Christmas to you too.
Vincenzo
Fr Vincenzo writes (in italian)
(English version coming up soon).
Il Cairo 16 dicembre 2007
Caro Lionel,
Ti prego di ringraziare le persone che hanno messo a disposizione la somma che mi invierai a favore dei poveri.
Oltre quindici anni fa cominciai per caso l’attività delle adozioni a distanza. Una signora mi chiese di adottare un bambino. Trovai una ragazzina di cinque anni, ora già sposata. Con il tempo le adozioni sono arrivate a oltre duecentoventi.
Lasciando Gerusalemme consegnai tutto ad un altro frate e decisi di non continuare più questa attività, per diversi motivi che non sto qui a spiegare.
Ho chiuso la porta e ora, come si suol dire, vieni tu dalla finestra con la tua offerta per i poveri. Non posso dire di no! Ho visto molte difficoltà in Terra Santa. La realtà del Cairo è molto peggiore. È difficile dire di no quando ti trovi davanti bambini che vanno vestiti con stracci, che a Natale non si aspettano giocattoli, ma la possibilità di mangiare un pezzo di carne e una cioccolata. Una signora che lavora come bidella in una scuola raccoglie i panini che i ragazzi lasciano in giro, taglia via la parte rovinata e il resto lo da a chi non ha da mangiare.
Ho bisogno non solo dell’aiuto dei tuoi benefattori, ma anche delle loro preghiere perché trovi il tempo e il coraggio di riprendere quest’attività che richiede impegno e pazienza. Una ragazza durante il catechismo disse che se il Signore esistesse veramente si ricorderebbe anche dei poveri e non lascerebbe che come loro prospettiva futura abbiano solo la certezza della povertà. Provai a dirle, tra le altre cose, che anche il Signore ha fatto esperienza di una sua povertà. Ora egli va incontro ai poveri, ma vuole essere aiutato e l’aiuto glielo diamo ognuno di noi con la nostra carità quando cerchiamo di fare in modo che tutti abbiano non il sovrappiù, ma il necessario per vivere. Se non mi impegnassi almeno un po’ in questo senso tutte le mie parole che dissi a quella ragazza sarebbero false.
So che il Signore da bambino ha avuto bisogno di una madre che lo assitesse e da adulto, sulla croce, ha avuto bisogno di una madre che lo consolasse anche con la sua presenza. Sembra che anche il Padre ha bisogno di noi per realizzare i suoi progetti.
Ricordo con affetto i tuoi benefattori anche se non li conosco. So che il mio affetto vale poco. Importante che sia il Signore, nato a Betlemme, a ricordarsi di loro. Ciò che mettiamo nelle sue mani è un tesoro sicuro che non si corrompe.
Mi scuso se non ti scrivo una lettera poetica, commovente e teologica. Non sono un poeta e dopo aver molto sognato, mi limito a guardare la realtà, lasciando la poesia per altre occasioni.
Ai tuoi benefattori di semplicemente grazie e augura loro un Natale che porti soprattutto la pace, la serenità e la speranza di Cristo a loro e alle loro famiglie.
Buon Natale anche a te.
Vincenzo
Il Cairo 16 dicembre 2007
Caro Lionel,
Ti prego di ringraziare le persone che hanno messo a disposizione la somma che mi invierai a favore dei poveri.
Oltre quindici anni fa cominciai per caso l’attività delle adozioni a distanza. Una signora mi chiese di adottare un bambino. Trovai una ragazzina di cinque anni, ora già sposata. Con il tempo le adozioni sono arrivate a oltre duecentoventi.
Lasciando Gerusalemme consegnai tutto ad un altro frate e decisi di non continuare più questa attività, per diversi motivi che non sto qui a spiegare.
Ho chiuso la porta e ora, come si suol dire, vieni tu dalla finestra con la tua offerta per i poveri. Non posso dire di no! Ho visto molte difficoltà in Terra Santa. La realtà del Cairo è molto peggiore. È difficile dire di no quando ti trovi davanti bambini che vanno vestiti con stracci, che a Natale non si aspettano giocattoli, ma la possibilità di mangiare un pezzo di carne e una cioccolata. Una signora che lavora come bidella in una scuola raccoglie i panini che i ragazzi lasciano in giro, taglia via la parte rovinata e il resto lo da a chi non ha da mangiare.
Ho bisogno non solo dell’aiuto dei tuoi benefattori, ma anche delle loro preghiere perché trovi il tempo e il coraggio di riprendere quest’attività che richiede impegno e pazienza. Una ragazza durante il catechismo disse che se il Signore esistesse veramente si ricorderebbe anche dei poveri e non lascerebbe che come loro prospettiva futura abbiano solo la certezza della povertà. Provai a dirle, tra le altre cose, che anche il Signore ha fatto esperienza di una sua povertà. Ora egli va incontro ai poveri, ma vuole essere aiutato e l’aiuto glielo diamo ognuno di noi con la nostra carità quando cerchiamo di fare in modo che tutti abbiano non il sovrappiù, ma il necessario per vivere. Se non mi impegnassi almeno un po’ in questo senso tutte le mie parole che dissi a quella ragazza sarebbero false.
So che il Signore da bambino ha avuto bisogno di una madre che lo assitesse e da adulto, sulla croce, ha avuto bisogno di una madre che lo consolasse anche con la sua presenza. Sembra che anche il Padre ha bisogno di noi per realizzare i suoi progetti.
Ricordo con affetto i tuoi benefattori anche se non li conosco. So che il mio affetto vale poco. Importante che sia il Signore, nato a Betlemme, a ricordarsi di loro. Ciò che mettiamo nelle sue mani è un tesoro sicuro che non si corrompe.
Mi scuso se non ti scrivo una lettera poetica, commovente e teologica. Non sono un poeta e dopo aver molto sognato, mi limito a guardare la realtà, lasciando la poesia per altre occasioni.
Ai tuoi benefattori di semplicemente grazie e augura loro un Natale che porti soprattutto la pace, la serenità e la speranza di Cristo a loro e alle loro famiglie.
Buon Natale anche a te.
Vincenzo
Sunday, December 16, 2007
Defects and all ....
Apparently it rained last night but no one realised it. This morning the roads and terraces are all wet and the sky is very clear and the sun is out in full force. many of the professors and students want to go out; just to take a break. Me too. Want to get away from the books just for today - clear the mind by taking a walk outside in the New City, or maybe a nearby park.
This morning I concelebrated Mass at the Flagellation Chapel instead of the Holy Sepulchre; was feeling really tired and bogged down by loads of work. Fr Bissoli gave a nice sermon which I'm adapting here for you. The theme was "waiting" in Advent; but what are we waiting for? John the Baptist expected a Messiah to come and judge the world; but Jesus corrected this by showing that the Messiah comes to treat everyone with great patience and bringing everyone to wholeness (therefore 1st reading Isaiah talks about blind seeing again, lame walking etc... which is repeated in the Gospel). The Messiah is coming not to judge and condemn but to bring to fullness everything that is suffering from defects; to make everything whole and perfect; and he does this with great patience (2nd reading Letter of St James). So think about that - what are the areas that you feel is defective and requires wholeness? Are we patient with others' defects? Critical? or helping them overcome it?
This morning I concelebrated Mass at the Flagellation Chapel instead of the Holy Sepulchre; was feeling really tired and bogged down by loads of work. Fr Bissoli gave a nice sermon which I'm adapting here for you. The theme was "waiting" in Advent; but what are we waiting for? John the Baptist expected a Messiah to come and judge the world; but Jesus corrected this by showing that the Messiah comes to treat everyone with great patience and bringing everyone to wholeness (therefore 1st reading Isaiah talks about blind seeing again, lame walking etc... which is repeated in the Gospel). The Messiah is coming not to judge and condemn but to bring to fullness everything that is suffering from defects; to make everything whole and perfect; and he does this with great patience (2nd reading Letter of St James). So think about that - what are the areas that you feel is defective and requires wholeness? Are we patient with others' defects? Critical? or helping them overcome it?
Saturday, December 15, 2007
Elijah lost his head
Saturday. The rest of the students are having exams. now with Fr Cortese. I was doing some writing on the computer when Jean Paul knocked on my door - I forgot he's supposed to cut my hair this morning. The electric shaver Minnie got me is doing a good job. Found out that almost all the students also have their own shavers as its alot cheaper doing it yourself or another student to help you. Almost 70% of the students here have a crewcut, like really very short. It saves on money.
My headache subsided somewhat when I took another brand of aspirins (Neosed) that Cecilia Cavero left me. It worked. Wihtin 30 min. the headache was gone. That made it possible for me to go out to dinner - one of the rare occassions I get invited!
Well the hosts were Alexander and Gabriella Frolich; a young couple with a 2 yr old son called Emmanuel ("Ninel" for short since that's all he can manage to say). Alex is a free lance photographer and Gabriella is a journalist for Vatican Radio. We had chinese noodles (yes they managed to get white rice noodles from a specialised store far out in the New City!) and chatted alot about the Bible as they had many questions. They're what I call the "John Paul generation" - grew up in the pontificate of JP II and fully immersed in the spirituality he developed for the young Catholics through World Youth Days etc. After dinner, Gabriella played the guitar in a prayer session and then sent Emmanuel to sleep, and we continued chatting about the Bible. By the time I got home it was 10.30pm - pretty late for my standards but it was good to have met up with them again. Very serious Catholics - they meet up once a week with a Dominican priest to discuss theology and spirituality; go for daily Mass in the nearby sanctuaries (Holy Sepulchre is just round the corner) and have a little altar in their apartment where they teach Ninel to pray.
This little encounter got me thinking about today's readngs at Mass. It's all about the prophet Elijah. The belief was that Elijah was/is preparing the people for the coming of the Messiah and the Gospel said this Elijah is none other than John the Baptist himself. Well he sure gave his all in preparing for the coming for the Messiah - he had his head chopped off for it! I wonder if that's our attitude in preparing ourselves. Imagine the students here preparing for the exams the whole week, skipping meals, staying up late in the night etc. Lots of sacrifice. Or Alex preparing dinner the whole evening, thus giving up play time with Ninel. I guess when we feel if it's something worth preparing for, we'd sacrifice some other things in place of the preparation. The problem is not whether we're ready to sacrifice - we're all ready for that. Rather its what we think is WORTH sacrificing for - it boils back to our priorities, our value systems and of course our spirituality. If you make a list today of what you're willing to sacrifice in order to spend time and energy in preparing for it, I wonder how far up the list is God, or the Sacraments, or Catechism, or Faith formation, or prayer. Wanna lose your head over it?
My headache subsided somewhat when I took another brand of aspirins (Neosed) that Cecilia Cavero left me. It worked. Wihtin 30 min. the headache was gone. That made it possible for me to go out to dinner - one of the rare occassions I get invited!
Well the hosts were Alexander and Gabriella Frolich; a young couple with a 2 yr old son called Emmanuel ("Ninel" for short since that's all he can manage to say). Alex is a free lance photographer and Gabriella is a journalist for Vatican Radio. We had chinese noodles (yes they managed to get white rice noodles from a specialised store far out in the New City!) and chatted alot about the Bible as they had many questions. They're what I call the "John Paul generation" - grew up in the pontificate of JP II and fully immersed in the spirituality he developed for the young Catholics through World Youth Days etc. After dinner, Gabriella played the guitar in a prayer session and then sent Emmanuel to sleep, and we continued chatting about the Bible. By the time I got home it was 10.30pm - pretty late for my standards but it was good to have met up with them again. Very serious Catholics - they meet up once a week with a Dominican priest to discuss theology and spirituality; go for daily Mass in the nearby sanctuaries (Holy Sepulchre is just round the corner) and have a little altar in their apartment where they teach Ninel to pray.
This little encounter got me thinking about today's readngs at Mass. It's all about the prophet Elijah. The belief was that Elijah was/is preparing the people for the coming of the Messiah and the Gospel said this Elijah is none other than John the Baptist himself. Well he sure gave his all in preparing for the coming for the Messiah - he had his head chopped off for it! I wonder if that's our attitude in preparing ourselves. Imagine the students here preparing for the exams the whole week, skipping meals, staying up late in the night etc. Lots of sacrifice. Or Alex preparing dinner the whole evening, thus giving up play time with Ninel. I guess when we feel if it's something worth preparing for, we'd sacrifice some other things in place of the preparation. The problem is not whether we're ready to sacrifice - we're all ready for that. Rather its what we think is WORTH sacrificing for - it boils back to our priorities, our value systems and of course our spirituality. If you make a list today of what you're willing to sacrifice in order to spend time and energy in preparing for it, I wonder how far up the list is God, or the Sacraments, or Catechism, or Faith formation, or prayer. Wanna lose your head over it?
Friday, December 14, 2007
Jumping to conclusions
It's Friday again. Another week gone. Today's lesson on philology was focussed on the analysis of Acts 20 (that's "Acts of the Apostles chapter 20"). It was very detailed. And though I could follow everything, I found it hard to concentrate. I still have this terrible headache since yesterday evening. Took aspirins but no effect. Now I'm skipping lunch as I feel nauseous. Reminds me of Chris Chua taking the minibus up to our HK place - giddy, vomit. Well I hardly slept last night because of this headache.
Read yesterday about a local tree (local meaning you guys in SE Asia) called "Indian almond tree" (Terminalia Catappa) which has leaves that soften hard water. Want to try it. Our water here is very hard. Apparently people in the Indian subcontinent use it to soften their drinking water; purify it also. So if you guys come across this leaf (I think they sell it in the shops that also sell other fresh herbs like jintan, anise etc..), buy a couple and send them up to me. It's in a dried form; not fresh. And apparently the tree grows profusely throughout S'pore, M'sia etc. I think its called ketapang in malay.
Anyway yesterday after dinner, Fr Cignelli said he wanted to see me. Scared. He's our retired Greek professor and when he says something like that - it usually means we did something wrong. Well how different my expectations! He wanted to give me a New Testament translated in ancient Hebrew (not modern Hebrew - that kind you can find anywhere here in Israel). He told me to read a passage everyday to brush up on my hebrew (now who told him about my poor hebrew?!). It was a nice gesture - and I appreciate it because I read the first chapter of Mark's Gospel and found it easy to understand because I already know the greek contents (Mark's Gospel as we have it exists only in greek). So Fr Cignelli was right - it is easier to brush up on my hebrew with texts that i already know rather than doing some OT texts (as in Old Testament) that I do not know. So lesson for the day? Don't jump to conclusions. Things may not be what you expect!
Read yesterday about a local tree (local meaning you guys in SE Asia) called "Indian almond tree" (Terminalia Catappa) which has leaves that soften hard water. Want to try it. Our water here is very hard. Apparently people in the Indian subcontinent use it to soften their drinking water; purify it also. So if you guys come across this leaf (I think they sell it in the shops that also sell other fresh herbs like jintan, anise etc..), buy a couple and send them up to me. It's in a dried form; not fresh. And apparently the tree grows profusely throughout S'pore, M'sia etc. I think its called ketapang in malay.
Anyway yesterday after dinner, Fr Cignelli said he wanted to see me. Scared. He's our retired Greek professor and when he says something like that - it usually means we did something wrong. Well how different my expectations! He wanted to give me a New Testament translated in ancient Hebrew (not modern Hebrew - that kind you can find anywhere here in Israel). He told me to read a passage everyday to brush up on my hebrew (now who told him about my poor hebrew?!). It was a nice gesture - and I appreciate it because I read the first chapter of Mark's Gospel and found it easy to understand because I already know the greek contents (Mark's Gospel as we have it exists only in greek). So Fr Cignelli was right - it is easier to brush up on my hebrew with texts that i already know rather than doing some OT texts (as in Old Testament) that I do not know. So lesson for the day? Don't jump to conclusions. Things may not be what you expect!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
_et_Rahil_Halim_2.jpg)
